Oybek - Buston (UZ-TAJ) border crossing

[ico84]

Wanted to add to mpkz's report: he crossed "comfortably" for 7$, but this still included a lot of changes of transport and several marshrutkas. If you are alone, a good way to do it on a budget. But it can be more comfortable still. We crossed for 20$ in 3,5 hours from Khujand to Tashkent door-to-door, taking 2 taxis. We were 2 people, so it came down to 10$ each, but with an extra person or 2, this is cheaper than taking marshrutkas like mpkz, and very comfortable.

Minibus 33 goes to Khujand bus station. From Khujand bus station, we found a taxi driver for 80 somoni who brought us straight to the border. He does the route often, his name is Mohammad, you can call in Russian to +992 92 717 2679. After the border, we found a taxi driver to take us all the way to Art Hostel in Tashkent for 10$ for the car. So that is the real price.

I will do the other way around in few days.

From Tashkent I can manage to find a taxi with the hostel at a fair price. What worries me is to find an honest one to Khujand just after the border. Anyone has suggestions?

[ico84]

The hostel did not help me.

Therefore I got to Kuyluk bazaar and asked few guys a taxi to the border. I found one very happy to bring me there for 10$.

ON the border I had some problem in the uzb side. Because I have been in their country just for 3 days I have been asked the reason for a short journey.

After a very quick chech of the passport they asked me to sit for like 30 minutes and just "wait". IN the mean time few people got over the border. While I was waiting I have been asked about Italian Mafia (one of the 2 police officers was really "appasionate" on the topic) and what cities I have been. Half an hour late they just told me: "you can go" and did not check my bag or the hotel registration.

The taj side was very easy. The duty free shop was close (it was like midday).

Over the border there were like 10 taxi drivers, but they did not care about me. I asked one of them if 5$ was ok for Khujand and I was told 40.
I tried to bargain for few minutes (i do not speak russian) "10 for me and 40 for them". Eventually we set the price at 20$. They told me it was not possible to get a lower price because the toll but I thought it was a lie.
But it was true: there is a compulsory toll of 40 som for the car after like 20minutes..

[edwinoonk]

Hi everybody,

We crossed the border at Oybek coming from Khujand last September by car. No problems, just the most meticulous inspection of my car and luggage ever. You can read all about it here:

http://www.edvervanzijnbed.nl/en/centra ... zbekistan/

Happy travels and stay safe,
Edwin

[TomasS]

Hi, great experience, totally easy, from Tashkent to Khujand in 6 hours with lunch, transport cost 5,5 usd. Taxi from centrum to Koykol bazar 12000 sum, then shared taxi to Oybek 15 000 sum, 20 minutes waiting. I changed there my last uzbek sums to tajik somoni with old women on the road, rate 1000-1=quite good. Then i knew to be in trap, because i did not state somoni on my entry declaration, but i didnt want to hide them as well, i have already hidden lot of dollars, just for sure to look poor in case of bribe ask. So i stated somoni on exit declaration, it was mistake, but the officer told me to fill a new one without somoni... Nice from him. So advice is not to admit foreign currency, that you hadnt on entry. They were polite, not even opened my backpack, no drug control, only question about czech bier. But i heard, like other policeman ask the one with my declaration, how much dollars i have, they though i not understand....

In other window officer checked my registration strips, i missed two of them so was worried, he laid down all one to one... And after two minutes gave them back to me, said nothing.

Tajik side straightforward as well, but no imigration card. I asked for it, officer just smiled and waved with hand to go. Together i spent in border zone just 40 minutes.

Then took taxi for 10 somoni to Buston, from that city by marshrutka to Kuhjand, 5 somoni, short waiting time, a lot of people on bus stand. In Khujand marshrutka number 55, 1 somoni, to centrum. Hostel 21 Sharq very nice, owners family live in near apartment house on the first floor, just knock on window

[bananiste]

Hello guys,

Quite new on this amazing forum and website !
Planning a visit this year with my girlfriend in tadjikistan.
Our flight from Tachkent to Dushanbe is delayed about three days so we decided to reach Doushanbe by the road.
Just a little question, since we are only going to spend few hours in Ouzbekistan (need a visa tough..) I was wondering if we can actually pay taxis in dollar or only somoni... Since you are often giving the prices in dollars, I am wondering !
Thanks
Benoît

[TomasS]

Yes, they will accept dollars, but maybe not in a good rate, but i think it doesnt matter, you are going to cross the borders just. Anyway you can change on bazar

[bananiste]

Thanks, great !

[daway]

Really easy. Khujand -> Tashkent 5 hours door to door. $13 per person as group of two, could be cheaper.

Shared taxi from panjshanbe to border, 100 somoni for the car. Waited a while at border in lines. Bags were not checked at all. Taxi to Tashkent $15, definitely could have been cheaper but we didn't care.

Khujand is not a bad place, stick around for a day if you can! No big ticket items but I liked it.

[hagi]

Some more useful information for cheap transport from Tashkent to this border:
City Bus no 12 runs from the Train Station to Koykol Bazar for 1200 som.
From the Bazar a Big orange bus (with aircon!) to Bekobod (departure every hour) takes you straight to the border for 5500 som.
Really easy and quick ride.

[Roland]

One more information from our trip in July this year: We did not get an immigration card on the Tajik side, not even after asking for it. But we didn't need it when we left Tajikistan at the Denau – Tursunzade border. So it was no problem for us. I don't know if we were just lucky or if there is no longer an immigration card needed.